Resurrection
by petrarchan1008
Summary: Chloe meets someone interesting. It's not much of a summary but unless someone writes a manual on how to do one properly, that's about all anyone will be getting.


Disclaimer: Smallville and all related elements, characters and indicia © Tollin-Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television, 2002. All Rights Reserved. All characters and situations-save those created by the authors for use solely on this website-are copyright Tollin-Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster. Bruce Wayne is owned by some other person who is definitely not me.  
  
Author's Note: First-time fanfic writer so please be kind.  
  
Summary: Chloe meets someone interesting. It's not much of a summary but until someone makes a manual on how to correctly write one, this is as much as what you'll be getting.  
  
Rating: G  
  
Resurrection  
  
There's something oddly comforting about being on the outside looking in. It's amazing how people become more real when they think you're no one of great consequence and I get to observe people as I please. Take this girl for instance. See we're both on the sidelines watching the world go by. The difference is she doesn't know or if she does, she isn't so willing to accept it. I watch her as she watches her best friend make a fool of himself over the cheerleader. She smiles and says something flippant but if her best friend were to look more closely he'd be more clued in to what's really happening which is that she's getting lost or invisible burying herself under layers and layers which I can see through because the show isn't for my sake anyway. She's putting it on for the farmboy. It's pathetic and sad actually. Wanting to be part of something and knowing that it will never happen. I've been in the center of the action and I opted to move back out. May be if my parents had the same inclination for hanging back, they'd still be around and I wouldn't be some little rich kid with the tragic history and a family composed of hired help. Although Alfred has been with my Dad for so long. He's not just a butler. He's the only one I could trust and I guess that makes him family.  
  
I've been tempted to go and talk to her but I wouldn't want to draw any attention to myself just yet. May be in the future I will. God knows I crave normalcy but she is a reporter for her school paper after all and I'd just as soon go like a recluse around town then risk having a "normal" conversation turn into my most dreaded topic.  
  
Her best friend walks away with the cheerleader. Lana. I think that's her name. Personally I don't see her allure. She's insipid like weak coffee. Aside from her one lone tragedy there's nothing deeper to her than that. If the meteor shower didn't happen to her, she'd probably end up like one of those snooty popular types defined more by their cliques than their individual preferences. I'd say that tragedy saved her more than anything else. Made her more interesting in her damsel-in-distress role. I watch her watch them walking out and for once her show isn't up to par. If her best friend looked back right now he might just understand or get to see how she really feels. I'm nowhere near her but I hear her sigh and it's as if every fiber of her is suffused with resignation and before I knew it, I've made my way towards her.  
  
I clear my throat and she looks up. "Bruce. Bruce Wayne. I'm new in town. Is there any place I could get some decent coffee?"  
  
She eyes me warily but with interest. Obviously, she knows my story. I wonder what version she knows of it. "That would be the Talon. My friend runs the place with Lex Luthor."  
  
"Oh? Your friend?," I raise my eyebrows and she crosses her arms before her.  
  
"Yes. Lana."  
  
"Pretty girl on the Time magazine cover. One with her parents killed by the meteor shower?"  
  
"Yup that would be her." She leans forward and looks away but I stand there and look at her.  
  
"I know this may seem strange but would you like to go out for coffee with me? I'm not too familiar with where this Talon is?"  
  
She looks at me skeptically and I find the crease between her brows slightly attractive on her. "Okay." I was almost sure that she was going to say no. After all I'm older than she is and she doesn't seem to be the type who is too trusting. She starts gathering her stuff and standing up from the curb bench where she was sitting. I take some of the packages from her and point her to the general direction of where my chauffeur parked my car. "My car is over there." For some reason I wish I drove there myself and she'd be sitting on the passenger seat beside me.  
  
I'm a bit disappointed when she says, "That's okay. I brought my car. You can just follow me and I'll meet you inside." She takes her bags from me and walks over to her car. I'm not much for any other color than black but the red Volkswagen suited her. I smile as I watch her move away. May be I am ready to emerge from my self-styled prison of obscurity and isolation.  
  
--- @ the Talon ---  
  
I enter the Talon and half contemplated on waiting just right outside until she parks her car but she shoos me to go inside. I look around and sure enough I find her friend Lana manning the counter and her best friend hanging on to every word she is saying. I choose a table in the corner.  
  
She enters the place and sees the tableau before her. She looks a bit lost, looking at them that I stood up and walked over to where she is. I tap her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention.  
  
"Hi. I thought that you've decided not to join me. You must be used to having guys say this to you but I didn't quite catch what your name was."  
  
At this point Lana looks over at our direction and the boy she was with swiveled around.  
  
She looks flustered being caught staring at them and stammered out, "Ch. Chloe. Chloe Sullivan. I'm sorry." She takes me by the arm and a jolt of electricity travels up from where she has touched me. Chloe brings me over to her friends and ignores their surprised faces. The Smallville Ledger was filled with news of my coming over to town to represent Wayne Enterprises forge a partnership with LuthorCorp on some of their research work. Actually I've been here for almost a month and basked in the shadows of anonymity until someone let it slip that I was here.  
  
"Bruce, I'd like you to meet my best friend Clark Kent and Lana. She runs this place. Best coffeehouse within a 50 mile radius." She beams at Clark and I figured that the boy must either be infinitely stupid to her partiality or that he refuses to acknowledge that it is there.  
  
I nod my hello to Lana and extend my hand to Clark. He eyes me suspiciously before taking my hand, "Welcome to Smallville Mr. Wayne."  
  
"Just Bruce please. I've had enough of that from the Board of Directors for the past couple of weeks. I'd like to have a double shot espresso and a, " I glance over to Chloe questioningly for her order.  
  
"A macciatto for me Lana, thanks." She smiles wanly.  
  
Lana smiled graciously back and I've noticed that Clark has entered his own private world once again. I hear Chloe sigh from behind.  
  
Lana hands a biscotti to each of us, "It's on the house for first time visitors."  
  
I take the plate from her and say, "Thanks but this is my fifth time here actually."  
  
Chloe's attention snaps back to me and she fixes me with a glare. "Wait, I thought you said you didn't know where the Talon was."  
  
"I didn't. My other chauffeur drove me here and I don't bother with directions. Shall we go to our table Chloe?"  
  
She looks irked and I feel slightly sleazy meeting her accusing stare from over the table.  
  
"Her boyfriend seems to be doggedly devoted. They look good together." I toss my head in the direction of where Clark and Lana are.  
  
She scowls at what I've said. I know I was baiting her but I couldn't help it.  
  
"He's not her boyfriend."  
  
"Oh? I'm sorry. I thought-"  
  
She cuts me off, "Well not technically but he may as well be for all the time that he spends with her." I hear a trace of petulance in her voice. She is looking down stirring her macciatto before sipping and glancing back to where they were.  
  
"I take it that you're not too happy with that arrangement."  
  
She puts her cup down and brushes me off, "I don't think I'd like to get into that. I'd just as soon tell Clark that-" She stops herself before she says too much and covers it up by taking another sip.  
  
I prod her, "Tell him what?" I smile. This high school infatuation seems to be deeper than I thought and I was slightly sorry for that. I wish it was just what it was. An infatuation for some rationale that I can't fathom. I couldn't be attracted to her?! She's too young and I don't know her at all.  
  
"Nothing. Let's talk about you. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Business."  
  
"What kind of business?"  
  
"Alien autopsies. Mutation. You choose. I think the Smallville Ledger reporters have all that covered."  
  
"I sense derision from you for the people of the press."  
  
"It's an undisciplined profession."  
  
"I am a reporter." She says with haughty defiance. Challenging me to say something that would give her an excuse to leave and go back to the counter where Clark's vigil of the elusive Lana is taking place. I've never been known to be interested in mundane matter such as high school romance but talking to Lex about these kids have made me realize that I missed so much of that time of my life. My interest has been piqued by vulgar curiosity for the people that he talks about like characters in a play. Or God forbid for people caught in some soap opera writer's twisted attempt at high drama.  
  
It took quite some time before I answered and she was tapping her fingers on the table in irritation. "I know. I never really felt comfortable around them because they tended to turn the conversation around to that one night I loath to remember but relive each day."  
  
She raises one eyebrow at me. "May be you shouldn't bring it up if you don't want to talk about it."  
  
I laugh quietly at her. I watch the muscles in her face twitch slightly. I know she is dying to know what I think, probe into that incident in my past but surprisingly reigns in the words. I am surprised that I volunteered the information. I have lain myself open to attack and a counterattack composed of a barrage of questions with double meanings. I look at my watch and I feel the danger of her power. Why did I even say that?!  
  
"It's been fun Chloe. Thank you for sharing coffee with me."  
  
She reaches out and touches my arm. "Wait! I'm sorry. It was rude and cruel of me."  
  
"No! I just remembered that I have to attend to something. I'm calling Gotham. I might be staying longer than I originally intended. I'll be seeing you. Would you be free tomorrow same time?"  
  
"Today's Sunday."  
  
I look at her quizzically.  
  
She rolls her eyes at me. "Tomorrow's Monday. You know the drill? Me? Teenager? High School?"  
  
Oh. I nod in understanding. "I'll meet you after school then."  
  
"I have to do some work on the Torch."  
  
"Are you trying to be nice in turning me down?"  
  
"It's purely circumstantial."  
  
"So then I guess you wouldn't shut the door in my face if I swing by and ask my chauffeur to knock on your door?"  
  
"Don't you do anything without your chauffeur!? Honestly! Or is the hard paneling of the door making contact with the knuckles of your hand as you knock be leaving you all bruised Bruce?"  
  
"Well nope. I would have knocked myself but I'd be bringing you coffee."  
  
She rolls her eyes. At me. Something that people only normally do behind my back. I've often wondered whether Alfred does that as well when I'm being too broody. "That leaves you one hand free."  
  
"You could say that but I was also going to be holding a bouquet of flowers for you, unless you're allergic to it.." I have emerged. 


End file.
